Scalper and aspirator



Nov. 26, 1929. H. MJoLsNEss SCALPER AND A'SPIRATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet FiledApril 9, 1928 duo: 1421 Nov. 26, 1929. H. MJOLSNESS 1,737,260

SCALPER AND ASPIRATOR Filed A rii 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2l/aakonwg'olmess w y-3 3% g p NOV. 26, 1929. MJQLSNESS 15737260.

SCALPER AND ASPIRA'TOR Filed April 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 26,I929. MJOLSNESS 1,737,260,

SCALPER AND ASPIRATOR Filed April 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' PatentedNov. 26, 1929 UNETEE gTATES I'IAAKON MJ'OLSNESS, OF MINNEAPDLIS,MINNESOTA SCALIPER AND ASPIRATOR Application filed April 9, 1928. SerialNo. 268,437. I

A primary object of the invention is to provide a vertical screen whichis adapted to rotate in operation. In so far as I know this is a newprinciple in SCELlPGl'S 0r" grain cleaners. The rotating screen operatesto give the desired result and in conjunction with the aspirating meansprovides a scalper of a very eiiicient nature. In fact, my scalperaccomplishes a result which has long been desired in thoroughly scalpingthe grain so that as it passes from the scalper to the separator wherethe different grains are separated, one from the other, the grain is sowell cleaned of foreign matter and dust that the separator may functionmore readily in its operation to separate the grain.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an automatic means forregulating the flow of the grain around the cylindrical screen providedin my scalper. In this manner I provide automatic means for feeding $0the grain into the scalper in a manner such as will be more fullyhereinafter described. The automatic regulation of the flow of graininto the scalper prevents the choking of the same and permits itsoperation to effectively scalp the grain.

Heretofore scalpers have ordinarily been made of a nature to spread outthe grain in a flat shaker or wide or broad rotary screens. These areusually quite large and require considerable power to operate them tosay nothing of the vibration which accompanies their operation,particularly in the'shaking type of scalpers, and this vibration isundesir-v able. My scalper is comparatively smalland compact and mayoperate in conjunction with a rotary high speed grain separator which Ihave designed, and which is the subject matter of other patents andapplications having no particular bearing on this scalper excepting thatthis rotary type of scalper is very desirable to be used with my rotaryhigh speed separators, whereas a shaker type of separator is detrimentalin the efficient operation of my high speed separators. The compactconstruction of my scalper is in keeping with the compact constructionof my grain separator and thus I provide a scalping means which may beused with any grain separator. of a compact nature taking a small amountof room and not as much power as in the old types of separators tooperate the same.

It is also an important feature of my invention to provide anaspirating, means in my scalper. By my method of scalping and aspiratingof the grain I get virtually four times as much spread of the grain asis accomplished by the old methods and at the same time I am able toprovidethe necessary aeration of the grain by directing the air throughthe scalper in a manner so as to give a rotary action of the air overthe grain. This seems to more thoroughly clean the grain and any lightermaterial which may consist of screenings, dust, light straw, 7 chaff,light oats and small seeds such as king heads, etc, are all removed inthe aspiration which takes place in my scalper. Thus the grain is inmuch better condition to be separated after it passes through my scalperthan I believe has been accomplished heretofore by other scalping means.In the action of my scalper and aspirator the air passes through thescalper and is directed into a cyclone which permits the particles ofstraw, etc., to be carried off independently of the air passingthroughthe same.

These objects together with other details and features will be morefully and clearly set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of my scalper and aspirator blower andcyclone.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged front detail.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side sectional view of my scalper and aspirator.

Figure 5 is a detail plan showing the grain gate from the feeding hopperto my scalper;

Figure 6 is a sectional detail of the grain gate and feeding hopper. I

Figure 7 is a detail along the line 77 of Figure 4, looking down on thegrain cone in the lower part of my scalper.

My scalper and aspirator A is designed to scalp the grain and aerate thesame in a manner so as to take out the foreign matter before it entersinto the grain separator. Any suitable grain separator may be employedafterwards to separate the grainrand to more thoroughly clean the sameif it is desired. I have not illustrated more than a slight portion ofa' grain separator B in the drawings. My grain scalper and aspirator isparticularly adapted for a high speed type of grain separator such as Ihave designed, and owing to the fact that the principles of the grainseparator are not involved in this invention I have only shown 'a smallportion of the separator. The illustration in Figures 1 and 2 show mygrain scalper and aspirator r sting upon the top of the grain separatorB.

My scalper A is of a small compact nature and" is adapted to beconnected with the cyclone C by the pipe 10 extending from the top orcover 11 of the scalper A into the cyclone G and the cyclone O isadapted to be operated by the blower D. A suitable belt 12 operates theblower I) which is driven by the belt 13 on the opposite side of thescalper A which operates the shaft 14.

By means of gears 15 the scalper operating shaft 16 is adaptedto berotated. The shaft 16 drives the gear 17 positioned within the scalper Aand the shaft 17 is adapted to operate the vertically extending shaft 18which extends up axially into the scalper A.

The shaft 16 is carried in the bearings 19' and 20 while the shaft 18 issupported in the bearings 21 and 22. The gear 17 is driven by the pinionso as to re .:e the shaft 18 when the shaft 16 is operated, 81"."1 agrain cone 24 is adapted to cover the rs 1? and 23 so as to keep thegrain passing through the scalper away from these ears in operation. Thegrain cone is provided with A1: arcuated openings 25 about the same topermit thegrain to pass over the grain cone 24 and into the bottom 26 ofthe scalper and aspirator A. From this lower portion 26 the grain passeson into the separator B.

The shaft 18 supports a spider frame 27 which is adapted to carry thescreen 28 oz:- tending vertically in a cylindrical form supported by theupper ring member 29 and the lower ring member 30, while suitable arms31 connect the upper and lower rings 29 with the spider frame 27. Thespider frame 27 is keyed to the shaft 18 so as to rotate with e same inthe operation of my scalper A. The screen 28 canebe of any screen meshformation such as is illustrated in the drawings, either of a squaremesh,or any other suitable mesh as may be desired to permit the grain topass through the same in the operation of the scalpel.

l/Vithin the screen 28 and spaced therefrom I provide a cylinder 33which is supported by the spider frame 24 on the sleeve 35 carried bythe shaft 16. This sleeve 35 is supported upon the upper end of thegrain cone 24 and by means of a cam shaped lower edge 36 the cylinder 33may be operated to raise in the operation of the scalper A. The amountof raising of the cylinder 33 is governed by the cam 36 which is adaptedto cause the cylinder to raise up in accordance with the pitch of thecam. The cam is of a helical nature and is adapted to engage against thestationary complemental portion 37 carried by the upper end of the graincone 24. The sleeve 35 provides a long bearing on the shaft 18,permitting the cylinder 33 to run true on the shaft.

The upper end 38 of the cylindrical sleeve 33 extends into the collar ofthe frame forming part of the spider 27 and is freely positionedtherein. The lower end of the cylinder 33 is adapted to support aconical collar 39, the lower edge 40 of which normally extends in closeproximity to the flange 41 formed on the collar 42 which is supported.by the ring 30 and depends therefrom. A small opening 43 which is justlarge enough for the grain to pass in a thin stream through the same isprovided annularly between the edge 40 and the edge of the flange 41, sothat as grain is carried through the screen 28 against the conicalcollar 39 it may pass through the opening 43 to the grain collar 24.When the grain passes through the opening 43 it is carried by the graincone to the openings 25 and on into the bottom 26 of the scalper A.

The cylinder 33 with the collar 39 automatically regulates the flow ofthe grain through the opening 43. This is accon1- plished'by means ofthe tongue or shoulder member 44 which is carried by the cylinder 33 andwhen the grain banks up against this tongue shoulder, as illustrated inFigure 3, on the cone collar 39 and the conical collar flange 41, thecylinder 33 which is normally stationary within the sca'lper A isadapted to be caused to rotate slightly or in proportion with thebanking of the grain 45 against the tongue shoulder 44, causing thecylinder to move sufficiently to enlarge the opening 43, as illustratedin Figure 3, permitting the grain to fall through more rapidly, yetdropping the grain in a cylindrical sheet-like formation through thescalper A on to the grain receiving cone 24 and out through the openings25. Thusas the grain enters the scalpel. through the screen-28 and on tothe conical collar -39,the flow of the same through the opening 43 isregulated automatically by the amount of grain passing into the scalper;

The rotation of the screen 28 carries the grain circularly around theconical chamber 46 which is formed by the casing member 47 supported inthe lower collar portion 48 and the upper collar portion 49. This casing47 may be made of sheet metal and extends conically about the screen 28.When the grain 45 enters the conical chamber 46 in the operation of myscalper A, the grain is carried around in the conical chamber 46 at thebottom of the same by the rotation of the screen 28, the grain bankingitself up along the screen slightly as the screen rotates, and all thesticks, straw and other foreign matter of a larger nature are carriedaround and out through the opening 50 on one side of the scalper A whichis formed with a discharging trough 51, as illustrated in Figures 3 and4. Thus as the grain passes into the conical chamber 46 it is carriedaround by the rotation of the screen 28 in the chamber 46 and all ofthe-large foreign matter is readily discharged out through the opening50. The grain is fed into the scalper by the hopper l illustrated indetail in Figures 5 and 6, and by means of a gate 53 which is operatedby the rack 54 and the pinions 55, so as to raise and lower the gate 53by means of the handle 56, I feed grain from the hopper E into the sideof the chamber 46. The position of the hopper E is illustrated moreclearly in the plan view in Figure 2, together with the operating handle56 for the grain gate 53.

The blower D is adapted to draw the air up through the openings 25 overthe grain cone 24, up through the cylindrical sleeve 33, over the spiderframe 2. and out through the pipe 10 into the cyclone C. In operationthe grain gate 53 is opened sufficiently to direct grain into theconical chamber 46 and the rotation of the screen 28 carries the grainvirtually around the chamber 46, screening it through the screen 28 andcarrying the large foreign matter out through the opening 50. When thegrain passes through the screen 28 in the operation of the scalper A itis aerated by the operation of the blower l) and'as the grain passes onto the conical collar 39 the collar is operated to regulate the size ofthe opening 43 and permit the grain to pass through the aspiratingprocess by the draft of air passing over the cone 24 and up through thesleeve This provides the aspirator of my scalper and carries out thedust and light material which may consist of screenings, light straw,chaff, light oats, small seeds, king heads and other material of asimilar nature. The rotation of the screen 28 with the rotat-. ing lowercollar 42 has a tendency to whirl the grain around in the lower chamber56 formed by the sleeve 57 extending around the cone 24. The grain isthus passed through a whirling spray of air and so thoroughly cleansedof foreign matter that my scalper operates to perform a very desirablemeans of primarily scalping the grain before it passes into a grainseparator. This takes. a heavy burden ofl'of the grain separator andwith my rotary scalper and aspirator I provide a means permitting thegrain to be scalped more rapidly and much more efficient ly than I haveever known it to be before. The rotary operation overcomes theundesirable shalr'ng and vibration which is true of the shal-iing typeof scalpers and which is highly detrimental to a rotary grain separatorif the scalper is connected with the grain separator as l haveillustrated mine to be in the drawings, and the simple compact nature ofmy scalper and aspirator together with its rapid operation provides ameans of scalping grain very rapidly. l-leretofore the scalping has beenaccomplished by flat shaking means and rotary scalpers of a horizontal'ype and I believe my vertical scalping means accomplishes an entirelynew principle wherein more efliciency is obtained at a less expenseoperation, more thoroughly compet' ig the scalping and of an extremelydesirable nature.

lily scalper and aspirator may be provided with a series of holes 60which permit the operation of the aspirating means without forming anunnecessary vacuum to disturb the flow of the grain through thering-like opening 43. The aspirating action through the scalper of thedraft air extending through the same by reason of the blower D causesthe grain to assume a whirling action as it falls through the opening43. p

In accordance'with the patent statutes. 1 have described the operationof my scalper and aspirator and while I have illustrated the same in aparticular formation and of a design which I believe to represent thebest embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that. the sameis only suggestive of a means of carrying out my invention and thatother uses and adaptations, together with such changes as are obvious'may be made within the scope of the following claims without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A, grain scalpel including, a vertical hopper, a cylindrical verticalrotary screen positioned within said hopper, means for feeding graininto said hopper, a cylindrical grain regulator positioned coaxiallywithin said screen in a'manner to automatically operate to regulate theflow of grain through said scalper, and means for aspirating the grainas it passes through said scalper in a circular thin stream.

2. A grain scalper including, a grain receiving chamber, a verticalrotatable screen positioned within said chamber in a manner to rotatetherein to carry the grain about the same by the rotation of saidscreen, larger straw. and sticks being screened out by said through saidscreen to said regulator means. '3. A grain scalper including, a grainreceiving chamber, means for feeding grain into said chamber, a rack andgear means for closing said grain feeding means into said chamber, arotatable scalping screen within said chamber, a cone-like lower endformed on said screen, a grain discharge opening in said cone-likeportion, and means operable by the grain banking thereagainstforincreasin or decreasin the size of said rain CD D C) discharge openingbythe proportion of the grain passing through said scalping screen andengaging said means for regulating said opening.

' 4-. A rotary grain scalper including, a vertical rotating scalpingscreen member, a grain discharge opening within the bottom of saidscalping screen, a concentric rotatable member positioned normallystationary within said screen, means for automatically rotating andsimultaneously liftingsaid member to enlarge or decreasethe size of saidgrain opening in said scalper whereby grain is discharged from saidscalping screen in arcuated sheet-like formationinto the lower portionof said scalper. I

5. A grain scalper andaspirator including, a grain receiving chamber,rotatable means within said chamber adapted to carry the v grain in acircular manner as it is fed into said chamber, said means including ascalping screen through which the grain is adapted to pass, a graindischarge opening within said rotatable means, means for automaticallyregulating the size of said opening in proportion to the flow of grainthrough said scalping screen, and means for extending a draft of airover the grain as it falls from said opening in an arcuated whirlingsheet-like formation to thoroughly aspirate the grain, therebyseparating the dust and lighter material from the grain and permittingthe scalpedgrain to pass out through the bottom of said scalper.

6. A grain scalper including, grain receiving means, means forregulating the flow of grain into the grain receiving means, grainscalping means positioned Within said grain receiving means adapted torotate vertically within said grain receiving means, and means forautomatically regulating the flow of grain from said scalping means inproportion to the grain banked up in said rotatable means in saidscalper.

7. A grain scalper and aspirator including, a hopper, means for feedinggrain into said hopper, a rotatable scalping screen operable within saidhopper to draw the grain around from said feeding means in said hopper,spreading the grain against said screen, a

cylindrical regulator within said screen, an opening adapted to bevaried in size by said regulator, and means for causing said regulatorto raise and lower to increase or decrease the discharge opening for thegrain from said scalping screen.

8. A grain scalper and aspirator including, a grain receiving chamber,means for feeding grain into said chamber, a cylindrical scalping screenrotatable within said chamber, an aspirating passageway extendingthrough said scalper, a hopper bottom formed in said scalping screen androtatable therewith, an opening in said hopper for permitting grain todischarge therefrom, and means for automatically increasing anddecreasing the size of said opening in said hopper to provide an openingof an arcuated slot-like nature in said hopper causing the grain to bedischarged out of said scalping hopper in a spread out sheetlikewhirling format-ion, and means for passing air over the whirlingsheet-like formation of grain and up through said tubular openingextending out of said scalper.

9. A grain scalper and aspirator comprising, a rotatable scalping means,a cyclone means associated with said scalping means, a tubular passageconnecting said scalping means with said cyclone means, means forcausing a draft of air to be extended through said scalping and cyclonemeans, and means within said scalper adapted to spread the grainpassingitherethrough out into a whirling cylindrical sheet-likeformation at the point Where the air passes over the same to thoroughlyaspirate the grain in said scalper.

10. A grain aspirator and scalper including, scalping means for causingthe grain to whirl in a virtually cylindrical like formation in spaceafter it is scalped of the larger foreign matter, and means for passingair over the grain while in the whirling cylindrical like formation tothoroughly aspirate the same.

11. A grain scalper and aspirator including, a scalping member forlarger foreign matter, means for whirling the grain in space from saidscalping means, and means for passing air over the grain as it whirlsand I falls to the bottom of said scalper to thoroughly aspirate thesame removing the dust and small foreign matter therefrom.

12. A scalper including, a vertically rotatable scalping screen, a grainhopper about said scalping screen, means for rotating said screen, askirt formed on the lower portion of said screen having an annular lipextending inwardly toward the axis of said scalper, and a memberco-axially mounted in said scalper with said screen having means forautomatically operating by the flow of grain through said scalper toregulate the opening through which the grain falls as itis passedthrough said scalping screen.

13. A scalper comprising, a vertical rotatable scalping screen, a skirtdepending from said screen having an inwardly annularly extending lip,an automatic regulator for the flow of grain throughsaid scalper havinga cylindrical body portion co-axially positioned with said screen, aconical flange extending in close proximity with said annular lip onsaid skirt, means for rotating said screen, and means for automaticallyarranging said regulator with said conical flange to increase the spaceof the periphery of said conical flange from said flange on said skirtto pro- Vide an opening in proportion to tne grain passing into andthrough said scalper.

14. A scalper including, a vertically positioned rotatable scalpingscreen, an axial shaft for operating said screen, a spider frame forsupporting said screen in the top and bottom thereof, a skirt portiondepending from said screen, a grain channel formed about said screen, anautomatic regulator having a cylindrical body supported upon sait shaftin a manner to permit the same to be rotated independent of the rotationof said screen, a collar carried by said cylindrical body adapted toextend through said skirt, and means for causing said collar andcylindrical body to rotate by the banking of grain on said cylindricalmember and collar, and means for raising said cylindrical body andcollar to Vary the outer peripheral edge of said collar from said skirtof said screen to provide a wide or narrow opening of an an nular naturefor the passage of grain from said scalping screen which is regulated bythe proportion of grain passing through said screen and scalper.

15. A scalper and aspirator including, a circular grain receivingtrough, a cylindrical scalping screen Vertically disposed in saidtrough, a skirt formed on said screen depending from below said trough,means for supporting said screen in a manner to rotate and cause grainto be carried around the surface thereof in said trough, said screencarrying away to a discharge opening from said trough larger foreignmatter, an automatic regulator freely mounted upon said shaft supportingsaid screen, said regulator extending in close proximity to said skirtto provice a slot-like annular grain discharge opening to permit thegrain to fall from the screen through said annular slot into the lowerportion of said scalper, a shoulder formed on said automatic regulator,a cam for raising said regulator when the same is rotated, saidregulator being operated by the banking of grain against said shoulderto widen the opening for the discharge of grain thereby.

16. A scalper and aspirator comprising a grain trough, a cylindricalscalping screen rotatably positioned in said grain trough adapted tocarry grain around said trough, an axial shaft for operating saidscreen, a discharge opening for large foreign matter not passing throughsaid screen to discharge the same out of said trough in the rotation ofsaid screen, a cylindrical tubular core member, skirt members dependingfrom said screen and from said core member having their peripheral edgesspaced apart to normally form a narrow annular grain discharge openingwithin said scalping scree a spiral cam carried by said axial shaftadapted to operate said core member to elevate the same in the rotationthereof, and a shoulder carried by said core member against which grainis adapted to bank, causing said core member to rotate andsimultaneously be elevatedin a manner to increase the width of saidannular discharge opening between the peripheral edges of said dependingskirt member, means for directing air through said core member frombelow said skirt member to aspirate the grain as it falls through saidannular discharge opening, a grain receiving cone below said skirtmember, an arcuate grain discharge opening thercabout through which airis passed to aspiratethe grain falling upon said grain cone in theoperation of said scalper and aspirator.

17 A scalper and aspirator including,

means for scalping the grain by a vertically rotatable scalpi'ng screen,a ring-like grain discharge opening from said scalping screen, and meansfor automatically regulating the size of said ring-like opening inproportion to the grain passing" through said scalping screen, saidmeans being operable by the grain in said scalper, and means foraspirating the grain as it passes through said opening while the rain iswhirling in mid-air in a cylindri-- cal sheet-like formation from saidring-like opening.

18. 1% scalper and aspirator including, a circular grain trough, acylindrical scalping screen rotatably positioned within said graintrough, a spider frame for supporting the ends of said screen, a tubularcore member extending co-axially with said screen, spiral cam means forraising and lowering said core member, means carried bysaid core memberadapted to permit the grain to operate said core member to raise andlower the same for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the spacebetween the lower edge of said core member and the lower edge of saidscalping screen to form a ring-like opening for the discharge of graintherethrough, air suction means connected to said tubular core member,and an air passage leading frombelow said scalper and aspirator andthrough said core member to aspirate the grain passing therethrough. V

19. A scalper and aspirator including, a circular grain receivingtrough, a scalping screen Vertically positioned and rotatably mounted insaid trough adapted to form the inner wall of said trough, means forrotating said screen,

a grain cone covering said rotating means in the lower end of saidscalper, air and grain openings formed about said cone, a skirt formedon the lower end of said screen, a collar and cylinder co-axiallypositioned with said screen, the peripheral edge of said col-'- scalper,and air suction means connected with 1 rotatable vertically saidcylinder at the top of said scalper to aspirate the grainas it passesfrom said scalping screen through the variable ring-like passagewaybetween said collar and said skirt formed on said screen.

20. A scalper having means for scalping the grain against a verticallyrotatable cylinder, and means for aspirating the grain as it drops in awhirling cylindrical-like formation, the aspirating of the graincarrying away the light dust and small foreign matter lighter than thegrain itself.

21. The method of scalping and aspirating grain consisting indischarging the grain into a circular grain trough, the inner wall ofwhich is formed by a rotatablescalping screen extending vertically insaid trough and passing the grain from said scalping screen through aring-hke openlng causing the grain to whirl in a cylindrical sheet-likespread out formation and passing a draft of air over the whirling grainwhen in mid-air to draw off the material lighter than the grain beingscalped.

22. Ihe method of scalping and aspirating grain consisting in scalpingthe grain by a disposed cylindrical screen which permits the grain topass therethrough to the center 01' the screen, then passing the grainthrough a narrow opening of a ring-like nature to whirl the grain fromthis opening into a space below the scalping screen, and while the grainis in mid-air passing a draft of air over the same which is adapted todraw off undesirable seeds and light substance to separate the same fromthe grain proper in the aspiration process.

23. The method of scalping and aspirating grain consisting in depositingthe grain into a trough having one side formed by a scalping screenthrough which the grain is adapted:

to pass, the larger material being scalped out by the screen, thenpassing the grain through an opening one side of which moves relativelyslow compared to the other side of the opening, causing the grain toassume a whirling state and while the grain is in the whirling state inthe air, causing a draft of air to pass over the same in a manner todraw away from the grain undesirable sub- HAAKON MJOLSNESS.

. .nwn

